1. Field of the Invention:
This invention relates to a fastener for mounting a strip-like member such as a windshield molding to body panels of an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
A variety of extruded strip-like articles such as a windshield molding are installed in an automobile. To install such strip-like member (hereinafter called "molding"), firstly a fastener in the strip shape is attached to a vehicle body panel, and secondly the molding is coupled to the fastener, so that the molding is attached to the vehicle body panel via the fastener.
Such fasteners are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publications 282116/1986 and 27723/1986, and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publications 182914/1988, 182915/1988 and 44818/1989.
With these citations, firstly a base of a fastener is attached to a reference surface of a vehicle body panel. Secondly, part of a molding is fitted into the fastener, so that the molding is attached to the vehicle body panel via the fastener. A space between a window opening of the vehicle body panel and the molding is sealed by lip-shaped members of the fastener and molding.
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publications 2613/1989 and 14513/1989 disclose windshield moldings, in which a water drain channel is defined along a side molding part in a space formed according to the difference of height between the vehicle body panel and an upper surface of the windshield.
With the foregoing conventional windshield moldings, the water drain channel is uniformly and longitudinally formed only by using the space between the windshield molding and the upper surface of the windshield. Therefore, the water drain channel is not deep enough to function as a dam and cannot be adjusted its cross-sectional area appropriately.
The molding and fastener are usually manufactured by the extrusion molding process, having uniform cross-sectional shapes through their whole length. The water drain channel is usually formed only along the side edges of the windshield. Therefore, the cross-sectional shapes of the molding and fastener should be changed according to the side edges of the windshield. For this purpose, it is conventional that a molding and a fastener for the upper edge of the windshield, and molding and fasteners for the side edges of the windshield are separately molded, and these moldings and fasteners are then coupled by joints. A number of processes and component parts are required to manufacture the molding and fasteners as described above. Further, the moldings and fasteners will be sometimes damaged when they are coupled by joints, or the coupled portions may generate noises, deteriorating their external appearances.